Death toll rises to 19 as police fire on protesters in Nepal

At least 19 people have been killed and more than 340 injured as police opened fire on protesters in Nepal on Monday evening (September 8), amid nationwide demonstrations led by young people against corruption and the government’s decision to block 26 social media platforms.

Authorities confirmed that despite curfew orders and a shoot-on-sight directive, violence escalated in Kathmandu and spread to several other cities, including Pokhara, Butwal, Biratnagar, Bhairahawa, Bharatpur, Itahari, and Damak, reports THE KATHMANDU POST.

Hospital officials said 17 deaths were recorded in Kathmandu alone—eight at the National Trauma Center, three each at Everest Hospital and Civil Hospital, two at Kathmandu Medical College Hospital, and one at Tribhuvan Teaching Hospital.

Two more protesters died in Itahari, Sunsari, taking the nationwide death toll to 19. Doctors reported that several of the injured remain in critical condition with gunshot wounds to the head and chest.

The protests, driven largely by Gen-Z demonstrators born between 1997 and 2012, erupted in the capital on Monday morning after the government ordered social media platforms, including Facebook, X, and YouTube, to register under new rules or face bans. Crowds in Kathmandu broke through police barricades in New Baneshwar and entered the Parliament building premises, prompting security forces to fire tear gas, water cannons, rubber bullets, and blank rounds before resorting to live ammunition.

A curfew was imposed in multiple districts, including Kathmandu, after 3:30 pm, but clashes continued late into the evening. Security forces have since intensified patrols in major cities, restricting movement and public gatherings.

Meanwhile, India has stepped up vigilance along the Nepal border. The Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) has deployed additional personnel and strengthened surveillance in response to the unrest.

Doctors at the Trauma Center and Everest Hospital warned that the death toll could rise further, as at least 14 patients remain in critical condition.